| p>Even as the death and injury tolls continue to | | | | Establishing a safety plan in advance will |
| rise from hit-and-run motorists, survivals are left | | | | immediately enhance your chances of avoiding a |
| with life altering feelings of deep and perpetual | | | | deadly hit-and-run or rear-end collision. As with a |
| loss that can never be fully recovered from the | | | | fire drill, practice your plan at least twice annually |
| devastating fact that their lives will never be the | | | | (in your driveway, and not actually on the |
| same. Susan Nichols (name changed to protect | | | | highway). If possible, "never" stop on the side of |
| her privacy) enjoyed taking her children Jane 5 | | | | highways and roadways unless it is an absolute |
| and Timothy 3 for Sunday afternoon drives to | | | | necessity, and even then, stopping at the next |
| the park, and this afternoon was not any | | | | exit in a safer environment is more preferable. |
| different from the many trips she has taken in | | | | 3) Be proactive, not reactive. Since you cannot |
| times past---nothing seemed out of the ordinary. | | | | effectively plan for the many different kinds of |
| She was always conscientious about safety, | | | | incidences that could occur while on roadsides or if |
| making sure that the kids were buckled in the | | | | involved in a minor finder-bender with another |
| rear, and maintaining her vehicle at optimum | | | | vehicle---safety should be your first concern. |
| service levels. "I was fanatical about safety | | | | Taking necessary precautions proactively will |
| precautions, defensive driving, and always careful | | | | increase the likelihood of survival. At best, being |
| to avoid potential accidents, especially when the | | | | proactive reduce the potential of deadly accidents |
| kids were with me," says Susan. However, this | | | | and even post accidents if already involved in an |
| day would be different for Susan and one in | | | | incident requiring you to stop on the highway. In |
| which she plays and replays in her mind day after | | | | addition, put yourself in the place of oncoming |
| day. "If only I had...," Susan begins to cry | | | | motorists, and ensure that you have the best |
| uncontrollably, and as she composed herself, she | | | | chance of higher visibility (being seen), "before" a |
| says, "I only wish that I could have done more to | | | | potential incident occurs. |
| protect Jane and Tim." | | | | 4) Ensure that maintenance records are |
| This is Susan, Jane, and Tim's story of a | | | | up-to-date and potential problems with your |
| life-changing event. When entering an expressway | | | | vehicle's running condition is well maintained. With |
| to their destination, Susan experienced a flat tire, | | | | the exception of a stalled engine or functional |
| and after gaining control of the vehicle, she pulled | | | | problems with your vehicle's engine, tires are the |
| over around a curve on the on-ramp---not | | | | single most vulnerable to objects in the road, or |
| realizing that her vehicle was out of the view of | | | | simply placing you in a situation where the vehicle |
| oncoming traffic. She checked to ensure that the | | | | becomes inoperable---creating an opportunity for |
| kids were OK, turned on her emergency flashers, | | | | hit-and-run occurrences. Always maintain tire |
| and began making a call for emergency | | | | inflation recommendations and check your tires |
| assistance. | | | | periodically (at least once weekly) for signs of |
| "I remember hearing the sound of screeching | | | | wear and tear, cuts, or abrasions that could lead |
| tires, and suddenly it happened...a truck slammed | | | | to the tire failing while driving on highways |
| into us," says Susan. Unfortunately, little Jane and | | | | roadways. |
| Timothy were killed instantly and Susan was | | | | 5) Emergency Roadside Services are important |
| severely injured and now has to live the rest of | | | | and provides a better opportunity for a higher |
| her life in a wheel chair after recovering from | | | | visibility presence during vehicle inoperability. Nearly |
| injuries in a hospital bed for over six months---and | | | | all car insurance agencies have emergency |
| another year in rehabilitation. The amazing thing is, | | | | roadside assistance programs free or simply |
| the driver of the truck kept going, and has never | | | | added to premiums for a nominal charge for the |
| been brought to justice. "If only I had been more | | | | service. Although waiting for assistance in major |
| prepared, Jane and Tim could be alive today, | | | | metropolitan areas (in some instances up to an |
| instead I had to bury my babies,---I never | | | | hour) is typical, and could be longer during rush |
| thought this would happen to us, it's unbearable," | | | | hour traffic, it is preferable to wait for assistance. |
| said Susan. | | | | Avoid opportunities to work on your vehicle in |
| Regrettably, Susan's story is becoming all too | | | | high or low traffic environments or where |
| common. Today's highways and roadways are | | | | oncoming motorist may not see you in time to |
| increasingly becoming more dangerous for | | | | avoid an incident. If you have not already |
| motorists and pedestrians that experience vehicle | | | | considered an emergency service program, check |
| inoperability or stopped on the side of the | | | | with your car insurance agency for their offerings |
| highway for any reason. Unfortunately, motorists | | | | or other motor club memberships. |
| are faced with a multitude of distractions that | | | | 6) It is a mistake to view safety as a non-issue |
| could lead to deadly accidents and injuries that are | | | | or passively by thinking or believing, "it will never |
| completely avoidable if appropriate steps are | | | | happen to me." This type of thinking could lead to |
| taken to decrease the likelihood of an incident | | | | grave consequences. Safety awareness and |
| occurring. | | | | preparedness are corner stones to living through |
| Hit-and-Run accidents, sometimes referred to as | | | | a potentially devastating life-altering event and a |
| leaving the scene of an accident, hit-skip, and | | | | foolish approach to dying or sustaining injuries. By |
| failure to render aid, have caused countless grief | | | | understanding that it could happen to you or love |
| for families of victims involved in an incident. In | | | | ones, as well as taking proactive measures to |
| fact, it is unimaginable that human beings would | | | | reduce the potential of a hit-and-run and/or |
| leave another person or persons to die of injuries | | | | general roadside accident, you will have the |
| sustained by careless disregard and distractions | | | | knowledge to execute a plan that could save |
| that lead to a deadly accident. With increases in | | | | your life and the lives of love ones. Take safety |
| speed limits, road rage, poor lighting conditions, cell | | | | seriously. |
| phone use while driving, and a host of other | | | | 7) Most important, higher visibility safety products |
| distractions, not to mention the increased volume | | | | are key to "early warning protection" for |
| of vehicles on roadways, deadly hit-and-run | | | | oncoming traffic/motorists, and the most |
| accidents are occurring at alarming rates. | | | | effective way to reduce accidents or post |
| According to deadlyroads, "approximately 953 | | | | accidents from occurring. Since your personal |
| people have been killed so far this year by hit and | | | | vehicle is not regulated to require safety devices |
| run drivers in the US alone, and 64,891 people | | | | in times of need, and because motorists do not |
| have been injured." Safety is something we have | | | | think in terms of accident prevention, external |
| become so used to hearing about, even as | | | | safety devices are front-line defenses for survival. |
| toddlers throughout adult years that one lapse in | | | | Using safety devices that are highly visibility, |
| safety consciousness, could lead to devastating | | | | portable (placed at a comfortable distance from |
| consequences---creating victims of lives that will | | | | your vehicle, and even around curves), detachable |
| never be the same. You see, we have become | | | | light source (used as a handheld signal or |
| so immune to hearing the word safety that we | | | | flashlight), and yes, wearing safety vests offers |
| inherently believe we are safe, especially on | | | | the best chance of incident avoidance. The safety |
| highways, without taking the necessary | | | | technology is superior, especially at night, dawn, or |
| precautions through assurances, that you or love | | | | dusk when nearly 62% of the incidences occur. If |
| ones are safe at all times with an understanding | | | | you do not have external "higher visibility" safety |
| that incidences could and do occur. | | | | devices, you should really consider them as added |
| It is a fact that flesh and blood cannot compete | | | | protection from a potential hit-and-run occurrence. |
| or win against 5 to 10 tons of steel if an impact | | | | Relying on emergency flashers in tandem with |
| takes place. Could Susan have done more to | | | | external safety devices has proven more |
| protect herself, Jane, and Timothy from this | | | | effective as well as serves as a back up if |
| catastrophic event? What if the hit-and-run driver | | | | flashers become inoperable due to vehicle power |
| of the truck could have seen the vehicle or an | | | | failure. |
| external safety device, and reacted in time to | | | | While the above tips are just a few tips that |
| avoid the accident? Motorist traveling 60/mph has | | | | would assist in reducing hit-and-run and general |
| (3) seconds to spot a disabled vehicle and/or | | | | roadside incidences, they are not meant to be an |
| person(s) on the roadside, and avoid an accident | | | | exhaustive list to address this serious, yet in |
| or collision. | | | | many instances, avoidable tragedy for motorists |
| Here are some simple tips to improve your | | | | and pedestrians. Death or injuries sustained from |
| chances and actually live through the experience if | | | | such tragedies will always leave an indelible imprint |
| involved in a situation where your vehicle | | | | in those left behind to endure and live the |
| becomes inoperable on dangerous highways and | | | | devastating events over, and over again. This |
| roadways: | | | | problem is real and getting deadlier annually. |
| 1) Become more vehicle safety conscious, | | | | Our hearts and prayers go out to those families |
| especially when stopped on highways and | | | | that have suffered such a terrible experience. The |
| roadways. The first thing you should do, is | | | | impact of grief caused by these events leave a |
| become aware of your surroundings, is your | | | | void in your very soul. In the cases where the |
| vehicle in the safest place (far off the "right" | | | | hit-and-run driver is never brought to justice, the |
| shoulder of the highway and always avoid | | | | pain is increased many times over. We all need |
| stopping on the left side "fast lane" where | | | | closer in certain areas of our lives---just continue |
| chances of an incident increases by 80%)? What | | | | to pray. |
| are the lighting effects and lighting conditions, are | | | | Prevention or at best, proactive responses are |
| you stopped around a curve, and are you clearly | | | | important steps that reduce the chance of |
| out of the path of oncoming traffic? These are | | | | hit-and-run occurrences, and serve to increase |
| simply questions that should immediately come to | | | | safety measures that could save lives on |
| mind. | | | | dangerous highways and roadways. Use these tips |
| 2) Develop a personal safety plan directed at | | | | to your advantage, and love the life and/or lives |
| "steps to take if I am stopped on the highway or | | | | you'll save. |
| roadside." There is no substitute for preparedness. | | | | |